Active Projects for FY04

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Active Projects for FY04

• Clouds from AVHRR technical support for OSDPD
  transition to operations, validation of products
  and development of better algorithms.
• VIIRS Cloud Work Improving the VIIRS cloud
  algorithms based on NOAA expertise.
• AVHRR Data Stewardship - Improving the AVHRR
  data (calibration and navigation) and generating
  climate records.
• Microwave Radiance Assimilation (co-I)
  development of a fast radiative transfer model
  for moderately scattering atmospheres.
• GOES Surface and Insolation Fulldisk extension
  of the GSIP CONUS system to the full disk and
  higher resolution.

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Clouds from AVHRR FY04 Highlights

• CLAVR-x is similar in scope to MSPPS except
  limited to the AVHRR
• Last Year of the CLAVR-x project (that involves
  ORA directly)
• The OSDPD CLAVR-x code continues to run on the
  IBM SP (the new platform). Operational transition
  set for December. Also runs within ORA in
  real-time.
• This year ORA completing the transition to HDF
  output which has greatly facilitated the use of
  data by outsiders. HDF is the also the format for
  NPOESS and EOS.
• CLAVR-x cloud mask now being used in NESDIS
  operational products (radiation budget) and plans
  exist for its use in new SST, GVI.
• CLAVR-x SST data used for GOES/POES high
  resolution SST project (RAL)
• New development this year included a pixel level
  cloud top temperature algorithm that is
  consistent for all orbits and all times of day.
  This will potentially benefit IASI sounding as
  MODIS cloud products benefit AIRS soundings.

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Example CLAVR-x products available in real-time
The suite of CLAVR-x includes a full range of
cloud products in addition to the standard cloud
mask.
Cloud Top Temperature
Cloud Mask Surface Temp.
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Pixel Level SST (SST This is what is used by
RAL for POES/GOES SST) (All of this information
is available in the SST file and this analysis
can be done automatically)
Unmasked pixel level SST
Histogram of SST background SST
Cloud Masked SST
background SST field
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Real-time orbital
Example of the type of gridded information
produced by CLAVR-x. All are made available
through OSDPD/ORA.
Single Satellite Daily Asc/Des fields
Multi-satellite Synoptic Fields
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Current Uses of CLAVR-x

• Other NESDIS Applications
• NCEP is grabbing CLAVR-x gridded cloud fields.
  Potential of clear radiances for assimilation
  being considered.
• Two JCSDA projects are using CLAVR-x output
• CLAVR-x algorithms are used in GASP, GSIP and for
  some aviation safety program (ASAP) here at
  CIMSS.
• Parts used by NGST for VIIRS
• Basis of PATMOS-x which serves the climate
  community

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VIIRS Cloud EDR Risk Reduction

• FY04 Highlights
• Continue as VIIRS OAT co-chair (with P. Menzel)
• Developed an extension of the CLAVR-x cloud type
  to the VIIRS channels demonstrably better than
  the VIIRS baseline approach. (This will also work
  for ABI)
• Successfully worked with NGST and helped them
  adopt the CLAVR-x cloud typing approach for
  VIIRS.
• Worked with NGST to adopt the CLAVR-x spatial
  uniformity tests into the VIIRS cloud mask to
  improve VIIRS SST.
• Helping NGST adopt NDVI-dependent reflectance
  thresholds to improve land cloud mask
  performance.
• Researching the continuity in the POES/NPOESS
  climate record using MODIS as a surrogate for
  VIIRS.

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Example Pixel Level Result of the Cloud Typing
with Multi-layer Detection using the AVHRR
Algorithm Typhoon Inoue in Indian Ocean observed
from MODIS
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Same as before but using the VIIRS Algorithm
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• AVHRR Data Stewardship / AVHRR Pathfinder
  Atmospheres
• ORA funded a pilot AVHRR Data Stewardship
  Initiative in FY03 FY04.
• The goal of these projects is to demonstrate that
  ORA can use its expertise in all areas of AVHRR
  processing to improve the AVHRR data record and
  perform climate analyses. (ORA Participants
  Goldberg, Tarpley, Heidinger, Harris, Key, Kogan,
  Wu, Sullivan, Cao, Maturi)
• ORA archive now contains all AVHRR GAC data
  from 1990-2004. Data moving from the SAA as fast
  as possible.
• So far we have developed the navigation
  correction, the GVI reprocessing software and the
  PATMOS-x software. Currently working on
  reflectance calibration improvements.
• PATMOS-x is a climate data-set produced from
  AVHRR with a 50 km resolution and contains cloud,
  surface and aerosol products (all developed
  within ORA).

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Initial Results from PATMOS-x Improvements in
the physics with the cloud mask have removed the
large satellite to satellite jumps observed in
the original PATMOS time series. Note, the
differences in PATMOS-x (black) are much less
than PATMOS (blue) on either side of the
satellite transitions (vertical lines)
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Initial Results from PATMOS-x Our time series
of cloud amount seems stable compared to that
from ISCCP. The downward trend seen in ISCCP is
contentious we do not see that trend and are
one of a few projects that produce an independent
global cloud climatology.
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GOES Surface and Insolation Project Highlights

• The new system that will replace the CONUS GSIP
  is running within ORA. (It is essentially CLAVR-x
  applied to GOES imager with the Laszlo insolation
  algorithm). We were funded by Ground System and
  currently NCEP is able to get the data from us
  for testing. Once this testing is complete and
  NCEP is satisfied with the new product, we will
  try to transition to OSDPD. Currently, we felt
  it unwise to transition during the OSDPD
  reorganization.

• Microwave Radiance Assimilation Highlights
• My contribution was the development of an
  extension of the traditional method of successive
  order of scattering that is superior for
  moderately scattering atmospheres (successive
  order of interaction). The winning model will
  be decided in a JCSDA contest this fall.
• Collaborators include Ralf Bennartz, Tom
  Greenwald and Chris Odell.

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Issues

• Should we actively pursue the transition of NOAA
  methods for NPOESS? What is the ideal
  relationship between NGST and STAR. Should we
  accept offers to co-authors on NGST led
  publications?
• Tom Schott explained to me that PSDI is going
  away and being replaced by an NDE funding line.
  The NDE list of NOAA unique products is currently
  very modest. There is no Polar GIMPAP
  counterpart. Are we getting out of the business
  of product development from polar orbiters?